Guidelines for Living May 4, 2026 What Jesus Promises You in the Storms of Life Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:3-5 William Shakespeare had a tremendous grasp of life and human nature. "When sorrows come," he wrote, "they come not single file but in battalions." My mother used to say, "When it rains, it pours!" meaning essentially the same thing. Nobody apart from a sadistic individual intent on self-destruction would purposely choose to punish himself by bringing difficulty or pain into his life. It just happens, though, often unexpectedly and without warning. The phone rings in the middle of the night. It's bad news. Your job plays out on you, the one you thought would take you to retirement. Your daughter at college lobs a hand-grenade, letting you know that she's dropping out of school to marry the young man with a foreign accent. You are confronted with a malpractice suit at the very time you have just paid off your school debt, and often one difficulty follows another as surely as the moon, the sun. No, of course, you don't ask for it, but you do ask, "What did I do to deserve this special treatment?" You are experiencing what the Bible calls "tribulation," but you're thinking, "Hey, save that for the end times!" No, it's part of living in an imperfect, broken world, now. "In the world," said Jesus to His disciples, letting them know something very important just before He faced the cross, "you will have tribulation"—something we're coming to understand. The Greek word which is usually translated "tribulation" is better understood in the context of stress or pressure today. It literally means "a compressed or narrow way," and when that applies to you, the compression produces stress which you certainly didn't ask for, but neither can you avoid. Writing to Roman Christians who had already begun to feel the heel of persecution, knowing that the security of their world could cave in at the whim of a minor government official, Paul said that tribulation produces patience, or "perseverance," as a newer translation puts it. When Jesus talked to the disciples about tribulation or stress, he linked our troubles, strange as it may seem, to joy. He said, "In the world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33 KJV). The Greek word that we translate "patience" is a combination of two words which literally mean, "to remain under"; hence, difficulty or stress which you cope with, asking God's help, knowing that Christ has been there and fully understands, produces "staying power." Simply put, you hang in there; you neither turn and run away or blow up in the face of adversity. There is something of a silver lining to the dark clouds of life which come to us. It is that we learn both our strengths, the staying power which we didn't really know we had, and our weaknesses—which can also be rather frightening. But we also experience God's sustaining help in ways we would never, ever know apart from those dark nights of the soul. When you are weak, then you are strong, and when you feel you can't go a step further, God sends someone—an angel in disguise, a friend whom you never knew could really be of such help, or a word of encouragement through His Word—as you face the day and triumph. Now, a closing thought. Before Jesus so boldly informed the disciples that they would face trouble, He told them He was telling them these things so that they might have peace. If you've never read the fine print, do so. You find it in John 16. Resource reading: John 16:30-33 Listen on the Website » Did you enjoy this devotional? You can send this devotional to others worldwide. Guidelines devotionals are translated in over 25 languages for others to read, hear, and grow. Click to give and share the message of hope in Jesus Subscribe to more devotionals from Guidelines Home | Devotionals | About | Donate Facebook icon Instagram icon YouTube icon info[guidelines].org • 949-582-5001 The preceding material was written and produced by Dr. Harold J. Sala. All rights reserved. Reproduction for sale or financial profit is prohibited. Permission to reprint may be obtained by contacting Guidelines International Ministries. Copyright © 2026 Guidelines International Ministries, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. 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